1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to garments for animals, and more particularly to absorbent garments for animals. Even more particularly this invention relates to an absorbent garment to be worn by a wet animal to dry the animal and protect surrounding objects from being soiled by the wet animal.
2. Description of the Background Art
As many pet owners understand, wet pets (e.g., dogs) can be problematic. Whether a pet swims, bathes, is outdoors in rainy weather, or is exposed to other sources of moisture, it is very important to adequately dry the animal so that unpleasant odors, skin conditions, or illness do not occur. Adequately drying a wet pet can often be difficult and/or time consuming. Many pet owners will simply attempt to towel their pet as best as they can, or use devices such as hair driers to dry their pet. Many pets are frightened of devices such as hair dryers, and conventional towel drying is only partially effective, leaving the pet wet or at least damp.
One problem with incomplete drying is that the wet or damp animal, particularly a dog, will often rub against furniture, carpets, vehicle seats, and so on until completely dry. This rubbing can cause unpleasant odors, stains, or permanent damage to such surfaces. As a result, the pet owner may need to keep the dog away from furniture, carpeting, and other objects until the dog is fully dry. Alternatively, the owner can leave the wet animal outside, but the dog may become wet dirty again. In any case, the owner and/or the dog may prefer that the dog be let inside the house, but for the potential damage to the furnishings of the house.
Many pet garments are known to exist. However, few address the problem of a wet pet. Most known pet garments are protection-type garments that are intended to be worn by a clean, dry animal in order to protect the animal from precipitation or cold temperatures. The problem with these protection-type pet garments is that if the animal becomes wet, the pet garment will often keep the animal wet, preventing water from leaving the animals fur. This trapped moisture can result in unpleasant odors, skin problems, or even illness for the animal.
Some pet drying garments are known, but these garments are typically restrictive in nature, and are not intended to be worn for extended periods of time. Such garments are designed for use by pet grooming or veterinary establishments. These garments typically restrain a wet animal, in order to prevent the animal from scratching, biting, or becoming unruly while being dried. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,170,438 issued to Marwah et al. discloses a multipurpose bathrobe for pets. However, the device of Marwah et al. completely encloses the pet (except for the head and tail), so that the animal is not free to walk around. Restraining the animal in this manner can be traumatic, or at least unpleasant, for the animal and is, therefore, considered to be a significant disadvantage.
What is needed, therefore, is a pet drying garment that can be worn by a wet animal over an extended period of time. What is also needed is a pet drying garment that does not unnecessarily restrict the movement of the pet. What is also needed is a pet drying garment that protects surrounding furnishings from a wet pet. What is also needed is a pet drying garment that remains on the pet even if the pet rubs against objects. What is also needed is a pet drying garment that removes moisture from the pets fur, but does not transfer the moisture to the animals surroundings.